Bonds
by Rose Jennison
Summary: After a prank gone awry Loki needs to spend a little time away from Asgard. He ends up on Earth, and runs into the spirit of snowballs and fun times. A friendship is formed, one that will affect both participants more than they expect. This story starts before either movie has taken place, but will eventually come to the movies and past them. Suggestions welcome.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N.**

**Okay, I know the "Jack and Loki were friends/brothers once upon a time" thing has been done a lot. But I'm really going to try and put my own spin on it, and develop some things that haven't been looked into as much in other stories I've read. **

**So, please let me know what you think of this chapter and the ones to follow. What you love, what you hate, or what you might like to see. It will be a big help. Enjoy!**

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Crisp snow crunched under his feet as he ran, then stopped abruptly when he realized he'd made it through the portal with no one following him. Puffs of white mist filled the air as he laughed and panted. He leaned his back up against a tree, one of many in barren moonlit forest. As he rested and caught his breath, he could help but grin.

_ 'Now that was fun!'_ Loki thought to himself.

Granted it hadn't been the exact kind of fun he'd been going for, and as a result he'd have to stay well clear of Asgard for a while. All he'd been going for was a small reality warping spell, to mix up some of the rooms in the palace. He'd looked forward to seeing the servants, his brother's friends, and perhaps even Thor himself, getting mixed up in the halls. Their confusion, and Thor's frustrated rage, was his goal. Unfortunately, he'd gotten a little more than that.

He still didn't see why Father was so upset. He'd reversed the spell and set everything right again before he left. It wasn't like he had meant to send part of the palace into a parallel dimension! These things happened when you were practice complex magic. It was one of the reasons everyone on Asgard had learned to leave him alone while he practiced. But, of course, Odin had been furious at the God of Mischief, which was why he had slipped past the distracted Heimdall and fled Asgard. It would be better to face his father after he had cooled down a bit. Loki hadn't really paid attention to where he was going, he just went to the first world the bifrost offered him. On that subject, where exactly was he?

Loki pushed himself away from the tree and had a look around. With the cold he'd at first thought he'd ended up in Jotunheim, which would have been disastrous. But no, despite the cold this place felt much more like Midgard. He took another look around the forest.

"Well, this place is boring." He said to himself. If he had to temporarily banish himself from Asgard he might as well have some fun while he was here. He cocked his head to the side when he heard sound drift through the quiet forest, music.

The god of mischief grinned. Music meant people, and people were always fun to mess with. He'd try there first.

Loki extended his senses, enhanced by his magic, to feel the presence of the group of people. He teleported himself a short ways away, ending up on the shores of a small frozen lake. The music was louder now, and he could just see the glow of firelight through the trees. He moved stealthily toward the settlement, pausing on the outskirts of town.

It was a shabby place compared to what he was used to; houses made of wood, streets tiled with dull stone, fires providing most of the light. With his magic it would be all to easy to play tricks on these people. He'd have to get creative he wanted to stay entertained.

He morphed his clothes to look like those of the other men of the village, and strolled into the town. The cold had never really bothered him, so wasn't that he needed the thick trousers and heavy coats the others wore, but he didn't want to stick out.

_'Now, where to start?'_ Loki thought as he observed the villagers, various trouble making plots flashing through his mind. His thoughts were interrupted when the unmistakable presence of magic pulled at his senses; magic that was being used right in the village. Curious, Loki made his way toward the source a few streets over.

The street was empty, save for two human boys. A tall burly boy with light brown hair laughed as a smaller darker haired boy jumped up and down. The larger boy was holding a hat high out of the other boy's reach, and kept jerking it higher up whenever the small boy leapt for it.

"No fair! Give it back!" the little boy pleaded. The bigger boy laughed.

"You want this? Then take it." The little boy jumped again, and missed. "Too slow!" The large boy said with a laugh and ran off with the hat, with the other boy just barely able to keep up on his smaller legs.

Suddenly, Loki felt the magic once again. A moment later the large boy slipped on a frozen part of the street. The boy shrieked as he flew out of control. The ice took him to the nearest house, and he smacked face first into the side. He fell back onto his rear, just in time for a pile of snow to fall off the roof. The boy gave a startled cry when he was engulfed. The little boy laughed at the bully's fate and grabbed his hat before running away. A moment later large boy sprung from the pile, cursing the cold and the snow that had gotten under this clothes. Loki chuckled, but he wasn't the only one.

The Asgardian looked up. There. That was the source of the strange magic. Standing at the edge of the roof was a young boy. His hair and skin were pure white, and reflected the moonlight just like snow. Frost clung to animal hide cloak, and bare feet poked out from brown pants that were a bit short for him. A simple wooden staff was clutched in his hands. The boy laughed again as bully ran off back home to get warm clothes.

"Nicely done." Loki called up to the boy with a smirk as he walked closer. "Though you should have waited longer before reveling like that. I'm surprised the boy didn't hear you."

The reaction was not what Loki expected. The boy whirled around to face him, looking shocked. The movement caused him to lose his balance, and he slipped off the edge of the roof, falling into the pile of snow his victim had just crawled out of.

"See what happens when you're not careful?" the Asgardian chided, smirk growing even bigger.

The white haired boy just stared up at him, mouth agape.

"You can see me?" He asked. Loki raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, you're not exactly discreet." Probably more discreet than Thor, but that wasn't saying much.

"But...no one sees me, or hears me. Except for other spirits." The boy's eyes widened. "Are you a spirit too?"

Loki frowned. Alright, so the boy wasn't exactly like him then. He'd heard about beings like this, and met a few on other worlds. Creatures that could only be seen by certain people, like most Asgardians, or under special circumstances.

"No, I'm not a spirit. Some on this planet call me a god. Very flattering really, but I'm technically an alien." Loki explained, sounding almost condescending. Jack frowned at the unfamiliar last word, and decided to focus on something else.

"So you're a 'god' huh?" The spirit finally got up out of the snow bank. "In that case, I'd like to see you pull of a better prank. Since you obviously don't approve of my methods." He folded his arms challengingly, Shepard's crook tucked in his elbow. Loki grinned.

"Perhaps I should have mentioned, I am known as the god of mischief."

* * *

**One hour later.**

Loki and his new companion roared in laughter at the sight before them. Jack had picked out the target, a man who enjoyed whipping the rest of the town into a frenzy with stories of monsters and evil ghosts so he could sell useless items that would 'protect' them from such things. Now that man was walking down the street with four pointed icicles sticking out from his hair, his face and body covered in mud and nettles, and sticks jutting out of the mud at odd places. Half the villages started at him in confusion while the other half ran away from the 'monster' screaming their heads off.

"Okay, I'll admit it. That was pretty good." The white haired boy wiped a frozen tear out of the corner of his eye. Loki smiled at the praise, and held out his hand. The younger boy returned the smile, and shook his hand.

"Loki Odinson."

"Jack Frost."


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N.**

**First of all, a big Thank You to everyone to followed, favorited, reviewed, and made suggestions for this story. I've never written a story that's gotten this many follows, favorites, and reviews in such a short time, and it is very encouraging. **

**Now, before the next chapter begins I will answer a review question. AyaPink asked if this story will affect the Avengers time line. I am not fully decided on this, but if I do decide to have it affect the Avengers time line it will not be by much. Everything that leads up to the Avengers will still happen, and most of what happens in the Avengers will still happen. I hope that satisfies your curiosity for now. Onto the story!  
**

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Spending months hiding from your own father may have seemed a bit excessive to most mortals, but considering how long Asgardians lived they could hold onto anger for a fairly long time. Odin may have been a good politician who preferred to keep peace between realms when possible, but that didn't mean he couldn't hold onto a grudge. Especially if his mischievous son was involved.

So Loki spent several more months with Jack Frost. Honestly, he was very good company, sometimes even better than Loki's own brother and friends. They all took their roles so seriously. Which made it easy to get a rise out of them, but hard to convince them to join in his pranks. Jack was the opposite. He had fun with his job of spreading winter and cold, and he was so joking and casual about everything that it was difficult to make him truly angry. Perhaps it was because, as far as Loki could tell, Jack had no one to answer to. The god of mischief sometimes envied the boy for that.

The months were spent in friendly competition. Competition for who could pull of the best pranks, who could summon the most impressive display of magic, and even the occasional sparing match. Loki had first assumed that Jack's magical ability would be somewhat limited. Oh he could recognize the boy held power, but he could only produce magic relating to his season. Loki, on the other hand, was well versed in a variety of magical spells and techniques. Jack has seemed especially impressed with his ability to create duplicates of himself, and the young spirit seemed awfully disappointed when he tried the same spell and never came close to achieving the same results. However, even though Jack was limited in his range of magic, he could still surprise his fellow trickster now and then.

"Think fast!" Jack cried. Loki narrowly dodged a snowball to the face.

The god of mischief leaped across the London rooftops to avoid the packed snow Jack sent after him. He ducked behind a chimney, and created a clone for Jack to chase. The clone raced off in a new direction, and he heard the wind race in that direction as well. Loki chuckled to himself, that was the oldest trick in the book. He got up from his hiding place and sauntered off, thinking of what trick he might set up next. He hadn't gone more than a dozen steps before his feet went out from under him and he was sliding down the building's slanted roof with a very unmanly shriek. He landed in a pile of snow on the ground. Spluttering, Loki freed himself from the frozen heap, only to find Jack Frost grinning down at him from a nearby awning.

"Nice little deception you pulled off there." Loki grumbled, brushing the snow off his sleeves. Jack shrugged.

"I learned from the best."

Jack did have a point. Loki had spent enough time around the boy that he'd need to pull out some better tricks if he hoped to keep fooling the sprite.

But, despite the good times, Loki did have to break the news to Jack. They'd pulled off one more round of hijinks before calling it quits and coming to rest on top of Big Ben.

"You're leaving?" Jack asked in surprise. "Why?"

"You remember how I told you I came to this world because I was in hiding from my father?"

Jack nodded.

"Well, I think it's been long enough now that he'll actually let me talk before he starts yelling. And if I wait too long he'll send someone to drag me back. If he gets angry about having to do that I'll be right back where I started."

The boy didn't look at him for a minute, seeming lost on how to respond to the news.

"But, you'll come back, right?" The winter sprite sounded a touch more desperate than Loki had anticipated, but he decided not to comment on it.

"Of course I'll be back. Our count currently has us being completely equal in wins and losses, I'll have to come and tip the record back in my favor." The Asgardian replied with a cocky grin. "I can't let it get out that a mere babe thinks himself to be my equal."

"Hey! I'm over seventy years old, I'm not _that_ young." Jack cried indignantly.

"Which means I'm still centuries your senior." Loki replied smugly. Jack glared at him for a moment, before grinning himself.

"Fine, have it your way, _old man_." Loki narrowed his eyes.

"I am not 'old'."

"Whatever you say Grandpa. You're the one bragging about his age."

"Stop that!"

"Only if you solemnly swear to visit me, and keep visiting." Jack crossed his arms, face amused but determined. Loki gave an over-dramatic sigh.

"Fine. I promise."

And this was one promise that Loki made sure to keep.


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N.**

**I looked up what powers Loki officially has in the Marvel universe. I found out that he can shape shift, and has the ability to cast his thought out across great distances. These were never touched on in the movies, but it's always fun to try expanding on things like this. So I decided that Loki would have these abilities in this story. Just wanted to let you know, so you're not too confused when they show up in this and future chapters.**

* * *

As soon as Loki was officially off the hook and ungrounded for the whole 'part of palace in a parallel dimension' incident he went back to Midgard to visit Jack Frost. He didn't sneak past Heimdall this time, since he wouldn't be gone so long. He just told the gate keeper that he needed to stretch his legs after being cooped up for half a year.

The boy was overjoyed to see him again, bouncing off trees and whooping excitedly the moment he recognized Loki, and the two resumed their usual competition. Just as Loki promised, he tipped the count back into his favor. He went back to Asgard after a couple of day, but started coming more frequently. He'd find an excuse to sneak off every few months and spend a week with Jack. Loki was surprised by how much he himself started to look forward to these little trips. Spending time with the winter sprite was often the perfect respite after dealing with his regular friends and family.

Which was why he was so eager for a visit right now. Tensions had been running high between Asgard and Jotunheim, and Odin didn't want anyone traveling off world. If fighting broke out he wanted every citizen safe in Asgard and every warrior at his disposal. After a few skirmishes things had finally calmed down enough for that rule to be lifted, but it had now been several years since his last trip to Midgard.

"You're leaving now brother? But we're nearly finished planning the feast to celebrate our victories and the return of peace!" Thor's voice boomed, even when laced with confusion. Loki casually adjusted his cuffs as he strode down the glimmering pathway that lead to the bifrost.

"Oh I'm sure I'll be back in time to catch a little bit of the merriment, but I simply can't enjoy myself until I get out and stretch my legs a bit."

"You seek adventure brother?" Thor smiled widely. "Then wait until after the feast when I and the warriors three can join you. We shall venture throughout the nine realms proclaiming the greatness of Asgard, and smiting those who may dream of succeeding where the Jotunheim failed!"

The smaller Asgardian resisted the urge to sigh. As amusing as his brother's arrogance could be it was annoying and frustrating just as often. And truth be told he hated most feasts. They started out fine but it wasn't long before everyone was completely drunk and trying to rope him into singing ballads, or worse, wrestling matches.

"Maybe you're right. I was planning on trying some new spells while I was out, but I suppose I could do that at the feast as well." Loki's words wiped the smile off of Thor's face. The blonde man suddenly decided that he needed to find Volstagg and compose a drinking song tribute to one of their recent battles. He told Loki to enjoy himself and beat a hasty retreat. The ebony haired Agardian couldn't help smiling smugly. Everyone knew to keep well away from the younger Asgardian prince when he was experimenting.

That smugness quickly changed to confusion as he arrived on Midgard.

Loki was bombarded with the sensation of Jack's magic being used the moment he materialized on the frozen lake shore. The shock of it actually made him stumble a bit.

Whenever Loki went to visit Jack he started at the lake near Burgess. It seemed to be a kind of home base for the boy, the place he always came back to. He wasn't always there of course, so Loki sometimes had to use his powers to locate him. He would extend his senses, feeling for Jack's now familiar brand of magic. Often he'd only get a general direction, and he'd have to shape shift into something that could fly him that way. Once he was close enough to get an exact location he'd sometimes shift back to his normal appearance and teleport himself there. He loved seeing the look of surprise on the boy's face when he materialized out of nowhere.

This time it was different. Jack magic was so prominent that, even though he was miles away, Loki knew precisely where the winter sprite was. Without thinking, Loki immediately transported himself there. The moment he materialized he got a face full of jagged ice crystals.

One of the fiercest winter storms Loki had every experienced raged around him. The wind howled in anguish; ice and snow clawed at him and bit into his exposed skin. Parts of his pale skin were already starting to turn a light shade of blue from the extreme cold. And at the epicenter of it all floated Jack Frost.

The boy had curled himself into a tight ball around his staff, his entire frame shaking. The storm swirled around like Jack was the eye of a hurricane.

"Jack! Jack Frost!" Loki tried calling but the wind stole the sound away. Loki did not have the same control over the weather that Jack had, he could not stop the storm himself. The Asgardian closed his eyes, concentrating despite the noise and cold. He cast out his thoughts, willing them to travel the distance and enter into the boy's mind.

_'JACK FROST. STOP THIS.'_

Jack's face shot up and his eyes met Loki's. A minute more the snow and winds gradually started to calm, and the temperature rose slightly. A few minutes more and the storm had dissolved into normal snowfall. The barren tundra around them was now visible. Finally able to approach the young spirit, Loki strode forward ready to chastise, but stopped when he got a closer look. The boy sat on his knees, head bowed, shoulders slumped forward, and hands desperately clutched his staff. His body trembled with each shuddering breath, and beads of ice were stuck to his cheeks and eye lashes.

The god of mischief stopped a few feet away. He didn't know how to respond to this. He'd only seen his brother Thor shed tears a couple of time in his long life, and he hadn't done so since they were children.

"You...you came back." Jack's voice broke Loki out of his thoughts. "You were gone for so long, I thought you wouldn't."

"I wasn't gone that long." Loki protested. Jack looked up at him balefully.

"It's been _years_ Loki. No one talked to me, not even other spirits, unless it was to tell me to go away and stop being a pest. Everyone walked through me no matter what I did. It's like I don't even exist, like I shouldn't exist. What am I supposed to do with that?"

Loki stared down at the boy, now even more unsure. He and Jack had never talked like this before, they spent too much time playing and pranking. Loki rarely saw the boy spend time with anyone else, so a part of him had known that Jack was lonely. He never thought it was this bad though. Loki crouched down next to Jack, awkwardly placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. Jack started at the touch, but didn't try to move away.

"Jack, if there's one thing I've learned in my years, it's that there isn't much you can do about the idiots in your life. Well, not much that's considered legal anyway."

Jack laughed just a little, which encouraged Loki to continue.

"You just have to learn how to deal with them. Remind yourself of what idiots they are, and brush it off."

"How are you so sure that the spirits who ignore me are idiots?" Jack asked, voice still a little shaky.

"Well, they'd have to be wouldn't they? To know your role, and not respect it. To see all the power behind your work and not respect you. Only an idiot would do that."

Jack seemed a bit mollified, but wasn't finished yet.

"What about all the humans, the children, that don't see me? That walk right through me?" Jack sounded very concerned, but Loki just shrugged.

"Don't let it worry you, they're only mortals. They don't really count." Jack frowned deeply at Loki's dismissal, and opened his mouth to protest, but Loki didn't notice and pressed on.

"The point is that you can't force other people to improve, you can only improve yourself. For now, we'll start with improving your control over your powers."

Now Jack's frown was for an entirely different reason.

"Why are we going to work on that? And what do you mean 'we'?"

"You can't be causing a raging blizzard every time you have a temper tantrum Jack. It's counter productive to lose control like that, especially if you're trying to improve your standing with the other spirits. And by 'we' I mean, I'm going to teach you a few of my methods for control and focus."

"It was not a _tantrum._ I'm not a little kid." Jack said, sounding petulant and very childish. "And I thought you said that the others were idiots and I shouldn't bother with them."

"No, what I said was that you couldn't do much about them and you have to learn how to deal with them. Some of the other spirits may be idiots, but even idiots can be useful. So it is important to have good relations with them. If you improve yourself enough, it will be hard for even the idiots of this world to not show you respect."

"Fine, how do we start?" Jack gave in with a huff.

So Loki settled himself on the snow to give Jack the same control and focus lessons he had be taught when he was first learning to practice magic. It didn't occur to Loki until after the lesson that what he said to Jack was what he often told himself when someone on Asgard called him weak or cowardly.

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**A.N.**

**I hope the advice Loki gave to Jack was in character for him. I had a hard time deciding on what kind of argument would both fit Loki's views and would cheer Jack up a bit.**

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Again, feel free to leave suggestions. If a suggestion ends up in a future chapter I'll try to let you know. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N.**

**Alright, I realized that I haven't been putting any traditional disclaimer at the beginning of my chapters, so I'm going to try and start doing that now. However for this chapter, I'll need two of them. The focus and control practices that Loki teaches Jack in this chapter are adapted from the "Wheel of Time" series, by Robert Jordan. They just seemed to fit in so perfectly, I couldn't help using them.**

**So:**

**I do not own Rise of the Guardians, The Wheel of Time, or any of the related materials.**

**Enjoy!**

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"I don't feel any different."

"Did you imagine the flower opening all the way?"

"I tried to."

"You didn't even practice while I was away did you?"

"Of course I did! I mean, I practiced some..."

Loki sighed from his seated position on the shore of Jack's lake. It had been months since Loki had first explained these techniques to spirit sitting beside him, but he didn't seem to be improving at all.

Jack growled a little at how disappointed Loki sounded. It wasn't like he wasn't trying, he was! He really wanted to learn better control. Others may think he didn't care about what he did with his powers, but he wasn't completely irresponsible. He knew that his lack of experience was dangerous; he knew that letting his powers get out of control got him into more trouble than he actually wanted. The idea of gaining a better handle on his abilities excited him, even if he didn't always show it. Plus, if he had better control, then he could probably do more intricate things with his frost and snow. Jack had fun imagining all the new tricks he could pull off. Maybe he could even make every individual snowflake unique.

"Could you explain it one more time? I feel like I'm missing something."

Loki sighed again, but nodded.

The first technique was one Jack had dubbed "Flower Focus". It was most useful when trying to get past a block in one's magical use. This block could be emotional, such as how some people froze up and couldn't do anything when frighted, or it could be physical, such as when one was near an object or person that interfered with magic.

It started with imagining a flower bud. This would become your sole focus. There was nothing more important than the flower bud, in fact, there was nothing in the world except the flower bud. Once this idea was firmly in your head, you made the bud bloom. You pictured the bud opening up, petals breaking apart and expanding until the blossom was fully open. Only now was it ready to receive the sun. The sun was, of course, your magical power.

The second technique already had a name, "The flame and the void". This one was better suited for stopping oneself from giving into emotion fueled outbursts, like the raging blizzard Jack had made months ago, and maintaining control. In this technique one imagined a flame. It was a small flame at first, just a bare flicker of warmth and light. But then you fed it your emotions and stress. Anger, sadness, pain, they were all given as fuel for the fire. The flame would grow with each addition, growing larger and hotter. Eventually the fire would grow so big that it consumed everything. With no more fuel, the fire would suddenly disappear. When it did, the void was what remained. While one was in the void, everything was calm. Any emotions became distant, barely entering conscious thought. It allowed the mind to focus solely on the matters at hand, making it easier for your actions to be more precise and controlled.

Jack nodded slowly after Loki's explanation, still looking a little confused, and tried again. Loki was honestly bewildered as to why Jack was having such trouble with this. Jack was normally so adaptable, and these were fairly basic practices on Asgard.

He gave Jack credit for coming up with a way to test himself though. The techniques did make one feel different, but it was always easier to judge one's progress with a more physical measure. To do this, Jack had come up with a very specific frost pattern. The pattern was not overly complex, Jack could do complex quite easily. Instead the pattern was highly uniform and repetitive, which required methodical focus to be done well. Presumably, if the focus and control exercises worked, he'd be able to finish the pattern more easily, or make it look better than normal.

So far that hadn't been happening.

Loki watched as Jack tapped his staff against the frozen surface of his lake. He touched many points very quickly, making frost stretch out from each point in sequence. The boy's brow was furrowed, and he _looked_ completely focused on his work. But when he was done the pattern looked just the same as it had the first time. The outside edges varied greatly, and the internal repetition was sloppy. He frowned and closed his eyes again, trying the second technique. A minute later he tried again, with the same result.

Jack scowled down at his attempt and stomped over to the shore.

"This is ridiculous!"

"It is not ridiculous, it's useful!" Loki hissed back. He hated it when people dismissed his craft.

"How can it be useful if it doesn't even work? I'd probably learn more just by messing around! Stupid flowers and fire, don't mean anything."

Loki had been ready to start arguing with him, but that last grumbled sentence caught his attention.

What did things like flowers or flames mean to someone like Jack? Loki had never seen the spirit out of his season or element, could he even be in warmer areas? In either case it was highly likely that Jack went a long time without seeing growing plants. Fire would hold a similar place, since someone like Jack had no use of it. It might even be dangerous for him to be around flames.

Maybe that was the reason Jack was having troubles, he needed a more personal perspective.

"Jack, how do you create snowflakes?" Jack shot Loki a look of confusion, frustration derailed at the abrupt change in topic.

"Well, I usually start out with a bit of dust, or whatever speck of something is floating around in the air, since creating them is easier with a base. I attach ice to it, and as more ice gets attached it grows into a crystal."

Loki rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Then try this, instead of a blooming flower as your sole focus, imagine a growing snowflake. It starts out as just a tiny bit of dust and ice, but then it grows bigger and more complex. Eventually you will have a perfect ice crystal, ready to float down to the earth and fulfill its purpose."

Jack nodded slowly, but not in confusion. He looked intrigued, even eager. He schooled his expression and closed his eyes once more, bowing his head and leaning on his staff. He stayed this way for a while, longer than his previous attempts. When he finally does open his eyes they gleam with determination.

Jack then walked calmly back onto the ice. Instead of tapping quickly to cover a lot of area he places his staff with care. When Jack is done he looks over his work, and smiles. The edges are now much more precise, with only small variations from the straight lines he was going for.

Loki looked over the work, clearly impressed with the sudden leap.

"See? I knew you had it in you." Loki said, a hint of pride in his voice. Jack's face turned a very light shade of pink at the praise, but then he looked closer at the pattern.

"The inside hasn't improved much." He wilted a bit.

"That's what the second one is for, control." Now how was he going to adapt this one for Jack? Thinking back to Jack's blizzard, an idea came to him.

"Imagine a winter storm. You put all your emotions into the storm; it feeds off them and grows stronger and stronger. Eventually, it reaches a point where it has nothing more to consume and can rage no more. It suddenly dissipates, leaving a calm where there had previously been chaos."

Jack got that same intrigued eager look, and did as suggested. This time it took even longer for him to come out of his mind, but it seemed to be worth it. His staff tapped the ice at a carefully measured pace, and the frost spread methodically into the gentle repetitions.

"Oh wow, Loki look at this! This is great!" Jack cried in excitement.

Loki did look at the design. It was a great improvement, especially after having so little progress over the months. There were still some flaws of course, always room for improvement. The Asgardian turned to Jack to tell him this, but paused.

The boy's face was lit up like the moon on a starless night. His grin was not from sarcasm or mischief, but from sheer joy over having learned something new. His eyes sparkled with delight, and Loki couldn't help smiling too. A light warm feeling spread throughout him at seeing his student and friend so unashamedly happy.

"It is." That's all Loki said, reluctant to bring the boy down to reality just yet. It wasn't long before Jack did that himself though.

"It takes kind of long time go through it all though. That could be bad if I'm in the middle if a fight or argument." Jack mused.

"Well, part of the reason for learning these is to avoid getting into such situations, but you are right. That's why it's important to practice them. The more familiar you are with the process the faster and easier it becomes; I'm able to do them almost automatically. So you should practice regularly."

"Yes Mother." Jack said in a sickly sweet voice.

"First Grandpa and now Mother? What did I ever do to deserve such mockery?" Loki said with a dramatic huff.

"I think the real question is: Since when do I need an excuse?" Jack snarked lightly, but the next moment he turned solemn. "But, you know, thank you."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Loki asked, turning his right ear toward Jack.

"Thank you for teaching me, Oh Great One." Jack said loudly and clearly. Loki smirked and started to get up.

"Much better. Now, I must be returning to Asg-" Something cold and crumbly slammed into the side of Loki's head. The God of Mischief blinked for a moment, blue sparks seeming to dance before his eyes. He turned to see Jack Frost playfully tossing a snowball into the air.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Not after war has been declared!" Loki rolled on the ground, scooping up snow as he did. By the time he was back up he had a snowball ready and waiting for his target. He pitched it at the laughing winter sprite, who swung his staff out to meet the snowball and send it flying back to its maker. Loki just managed to dodge. The two made eye contact.

It was on.

* * *

Thor wondered why Loki came into his melee training session wet and dripping. The happy grin on his brother's face stopped him from questioning it though. It was rare to see such a genuine smile from Loki, and Thor didn't want to ruin his brother's fun.


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N.**

**Yay! Another update! Sorry if this one is late on my unofficial update day of Saturday. That will probably continue, since I'm busy being a camp counselor and I've run out of the chapters I wrote ahead of time. But fear not, this story will continue to be updated. It just might not be updated as frequently. **

**Also, I do not own Rise of the Guardians or any of the related materials.**

* * *

The palace training room resonated with the sounds of clashing metal. The crown prince of Asgard swung his hammer, hitting fake opponents and practicing a very specific set of battle forms. Sweat beaded on his skin, his blonde hair clung to his face, but taking a break didn't even enter his mind. He was so close to perfecting this set...

Thor yelled in frustration as he missed the last target by a hair's breadth. The metal mallet slammed into the floor, creating an impressive dent. He wished he had an actual opponent to fight, but his usual sparring partners all had different duties to attend to at the moment.

"Such temper, brother. Do try not to leave the training hall in shambles again."

Well, all his usual partners except one.

Loki was obviously referring to the time he had used Mjolnir rather than his training hammer during a session. He had just received the hammer and was eager to test his compatibility with the new weapon. Unfortunately, the training room hadn't been built to withstand such a remarkable weapon.

Thor looked over at his brother, who was carefully aiming a training spear. The smaller Asgardian released, and hit his mark dead center.

"You're never going to let me forget about that are you brother?" Thor fixed him with an annoyed glare. Loki shrugged.

"I was just trying to lighten the mood. Perhaps you should perform Calming the Storm, your control on that last swing is what failed you."

"Calming the Storm?" Thor asked with a deep frown. Loki stiffened.

"I meant The Flame and the Void." Loki corrected. Thor nodded in understanding.

"What is Calming the Storm then? I've never heard of such a technique." Though he'd never been very skilled at control and focus techniques he'd studied all of those used on Asgard, as well as some used in other realms.

"It's the same technique, I just know someone who uses a different title for it." Loki replied casually.

"Who?" Thor asked curiously. He wasn't aware Loki had any friends outside of the Warriors Three.

"You don't know him." Loki said quickly, trying to make the topic seem unimportant. Thor's frown deepened though. He knew of most of the warriors serving Odin, which means he knew nearly everyone. Who in the palace could his brother be talking to that he didn't know and trained in battle control techniques?

"So do you think it would be better for me to focus training on a throwing spear, or with a melee staff like this one?" Loki asked before Thor could voice his confusion. Thor looked at the spear Loki had embedded in the wall, and at the close combat staff he now held in his hands. After a minute of thought Thor gave his expert opinion. When using actual weapons, rather than magic, Loki tended to work better with a melee staff. Anything more distant he tended to use his tricks to take care off, but many of those spells are dangerous or useless up close. So Loki would benefit more from improving his close combat fighting. After the explanation Loki thanked his brother and excused himself to attend to some of his chores. Thor went back to practicing the last set he had failed. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Thor realized he hadn't asked Loki more about his new friend.

This thought made him miss the last target again.

The God of Thunder's roar of frustration could be heard throughout the entire palace.

* * *

After Jack's blizzard inducing freak out it had somehow followed that Loki and Jack talked more about their personal lives during visits and lessons. Jack would tell Loki all about the other spirits he'd met, and how he'd managed to get on the bad side of every single one of them. Loki inevitably spoke of his brother, parents, and few friends back on Asgard.

And it was because of this new development that Loki discovered Jack's strange obsession with anything family related.

Whenever Loki brought up anything about his family Jack went through a strange cycle. When a family story, or complaint, started Jack's body language tended to bounce between avoidance and interest. Then when Loki finished talking the boy would always press for further detail, yet he never spoke of his own family. He even tried act like he wasn't actually that curious after the talking was done.

The Asgardian didn't press at first. He worried that perhaps the boy and his family did not get along, or perhaps that they had died. But as this cycle repeated over and over Loki began to wonder more and more. He didn't always give the information Jack demanded, but he felt he'd given away enough about himself to entitle him to a little bit of Jack's family background.

* * *

The morning air was biting upon the lofty Rondslottet peak in Norway. Wind, who was carrying the fog in, recognized a voice echoing from the mountaintop. Seeing what was happening wind lifted a small part of the mist, just enough to create a bubble of clear air around her boy and his companion.

"So after I got the little red head all worked up about taking his gold I told him the truth. I didn't actually want any of it, I just followed the rainbow so I could come and say Hi. The look on his face was priceless!" Jack Frost crowed with laughter at the conclusion of his story. The memory of meeting the Leprechaun was going to keep him randomly grinning for a long time.

The God of Mischief, on the other hand, simply stared at the Bringer of Winter as the spirit rocked back and forth on boulder.

"So you went through all the trouble of finding a fully formed rainbow, figuring out how to ride it, and locating a spirit at the end, simply because you could? You didn't take a reward that was rightfully yours and didn't try to make any deal or trade?" Loki spoke slowly, as if to make sure he was getting it all right. Jack nodded, grin still firmly in place.

"Yeah, it was fun."

"Honestly, sometimes your short-sightedness rival's my brother's." Loki said with a disappointed shake of his head, letting himself lean even more into the tall pine at his side.

"So, you think your brother doesn't think about the future enough?" Jack asked.

"Oh he thinks about the future, but not with any kind of intelligence. He only thinks about how much training he can get in or when he can go on his next adventure outside of Asgard. He devotes little time to understanding our politics or inter-realm relationships, yet he's expected to be the ruler of us all one day." Loki shook his head again, disappointment even stronger in his voice now. A small part of his mind tries to tell him that he's probably not giving his brother enough credit. Thor, the Warrior's Three and himself have all learned many things on the adventures Thor drags them into. But it feels good to rant a little, especially in a place where he can be certain no one from Asgard will overhear.

"What do your parents think about that?" Jack prompts.

"I believe Father worries about it, though he hardly ever does anything except to tell Thor that pursuits other than fighting are important as well."

"And your mom?" Jack prompts further.

Loki could easily continue his rants, but he pauses and gives Jack a critical look instead.

"What is it about this subject?" Loki asks.

"What do you mean?" Jack responds, frowning in confusion.

"Every time I bring up my family you want to know every single detail. What does one person think about what another person is doing? Do they always get along? What causes them to fight? How do they resolve arguments? How do I feel about Thor, or how does Mother feel about me? You always want to know more about everything when it comes to family. Don't I get a little payback at some point?"

"What do you mean 'payback'?" Jack asked warily, all trace of earlier mischief gone.

"Don't I ever get to hear about how your family worked?"

Jack tensed at the question. He looked away from Loki, suddenly finding his staff to be much more interesting. Loki wondered if he'd brought that up a little too quickly. Surely the boy had someone to talk about. Everyone came from somewhere.

"I never really had one." Jack admits.

The God of Mischief stood corrected.

"What do you mean?"

"I've always been like this." Jack said, looking up and gesturing to himself. "The first thing I can remember is being pulled out of my lake by the Moon. I never really had a family, so I'm...curious. I don't really have anyone else I can ask about it, and you only figure out so much by watching."

"I see." Loki said quietly, still processing the new information. Midgard's moon was alive? And could create spirits?

"Can I come to Asgard some time?" Jack suddenly asked. Loki's thoughts were completely derailed.

"What?"

"I want to visit Asgard. You talk about your family and those three warriors pretty often these days. I want to meet them myself."

It was true, he did tend to bring them up quite a bit. Being able to share frustrations as well as stories had become very satisfying. Though, if he had known Jack would become this curious he may have brought them up less.

"You can't come to Asgard." Loki said firmly.

"Why not?" Jack asked, frowning again.

"Most subjects of Asgard can travel to other peaceful realms freely, but Odin is very strict about who he allows into our home. Only ambassadors or merchants whom have previously spoken to Odin or his messengers may enter Asgard."

Plus, a part of Loki didn't want the other people in his life to know about Jack. There were so few things that Loki felt were truly his, and not simply shared by his family or friends. Jack was one of those things. How could spending time with the boy be his respite if Thor or the others suddenly wanted to come along?

"That seems a little harsh." Jack pointed out.

"The peace we have with the other realms is still somewhat tentative. Odin does not want to risk someone attacking Asgard from the inside."

"So if I asked to visit, I'd definitely get a 'no'?"

"Definitely."

Jack dropped the conversation after that, and that seemed to be the end of it. However, Loki knew Jack well at this point, so he should have realized that wasn't the case. And he definitely should have realized that telling Jack Frost something was against the rules was the least affective deterant possible.

The two friends talked for a little more afterward, but soon it was time for Loki to leave. Jack stood back a little as Loki was about to warp back home, as the Asgardian had warned that standing too close could get you blasted back.

But this time, Jack didn't stay away.

As the bifrost began to encompass Loki, Jack suddenly called upon the winds. With a mighty gust Jack flew forward. The winter spirit grabbed Loki's arm just as the bifrost's bright light enveloped him fully. When the light faded neither being could be seen on the snowy Norwegian peak.

* * *

**A.N.**

**Oh Jack, what are we going to do with you?**

**So, some people were wondering what Jack would do on Asgard and how he would interact with Loki's family. I decided now would be a good time to explore that a bit. I hope you liked the chapter, and I'll see you at the next update. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N.**

**Okay, I know it's been a long time, and that this is very short. However, I do already have more typed up and other stuff planned. Plus I have a much better internet connection now. So there shouldn't be nearly as long of a wait between this chapter and the next. **

**I was trying to write this all as one big chapter, but then I thought that turning into a few smaller chapters might work out better and get it out faster. (that and I think it builds suspense!)**

**Anyway, enjoy the start of Jack's adventure on Asgard!**

* * *

The bifrost was a very sophisticated blend of magic and technology. It had served all of Asgard well for countless millennium, and was not easily damaged. However, there were certain events that could cause it to malfunction. One of those events was suddenly changing the amount of mass being transferred along the bridge.

Loki should have materialized in the domed entrance to the bifrost, directly in front of the gateway. But with Jack's added mass the pair instead materialized at the door between the dome and the bridge, and were immediately blown back onto the bridge itself.

Loki's back slammed into the glittering bridge, stunning him for a few moments. The God of Mischief blinked to clear his eyes, and Heimdahl's dark skinned face swam into view.

"Are you unhurt my prince?" The gatekeeper asked, concern in his usually somber voice. A helpful hand was also extended to him, but Loki ignored it as he pushed himself up.

"I would be better if you hadn't tried to blast me back to the palace." The smaller Asgardian hissed.

"My apologies, prince. I am not yet sure what caused this to happen."

"Well find out and do something about it." Loki said in dry irritation.

Heimdahl nodded his understanding and, after recommending that his prince seek out a healer, left to investigate the bifrost's malfunction. Loki brushed off the advice and started making his way back toward the palace. He thought about the strange occurrence. What would have caused the bifrost to react in such a way? He'd gone to and from Midgard many times and this time should have been no different-

The memory hit like a blow from Mjolnir. The image of Jack Frost hurtling toward him, and feeling a hand grip his arm just as the bifrost was activated.

Loki came to a complete stop on the bridge, anxiety bubbling up inside him. Jack had been inside of the bifrost's range as it was activated. Was that what caused the blast? What had happened to Jack? Heimdahl didn't mention seeing him. Did the winter spirit just get blasted back a ways on the mountain top? At the thought, Loki did a 180 and marched back toward the gateway, intent on demanding to be sent back to the exact some spot he'd just left from. The God of Mischief took three steps, and found himself being slammed into the bridge for the second time that day.

"Wow, the winds here are a lot harder to ride than they are back home." a familiar voice sounded from on top of Loki.

"Jack!" Loki cried, relief and anger flooding through him as he struggled out from the tangle of limbs. "What in the Allfather's name are you doing here?!"

"Exploring!" Jack declared in his annoyingly cheerful way, swinging his staff up to rest on his shoulders. Loki pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Brilliant, simply brilliant. Now we have to find some way of sneaking you back past Heimdahl. It's hard enough for one person to do, much less two. How did you manage not to be seen by him when we arrived?"

"Oh, I didn't land on the bridge like you did. I fell past the edge, so I asked the winds here to catch me. They don't seem to like me much though, so it's kind of hard to ride them. Sorry about crashing into you by the way. Wait, what do you mean sneak me back? I just got here!"

"And now you're leaving here." Loki tried to grab Jack but the boy quickly leaped back.

"You're going to have to do better than that!" Jack taunted in a sing-song voice.

"Jack, I'm not in the mood for your games. We need to get you out of here!"

"Not in the mood? That's really too bad, because this is the perfect time for a game of tag! You're it, come and catch me!" With that Jack jumped off the bridge and was caught up in the winds of Asgard.

The winds did not appreciate his hitch hiking and tried to buck him off, causing Jack's to swerve and drop through the air erratically. Loki quickly shifted into a raven to chase after him. Unfortunately, Loki was not as used to flight as Jack was and the violent winds quickly forced him back onto the bridge and into his usual form. Despite the uncooperative winds, Jack was still quite fast in the air, and now a ways ahead of the God of Mischief. Loki's heart skipped a beat when he realized Jack was making for the palace. Loki considered teleporting himself directly to the palace to head him off, but he didn't want to lose sight of the boy either. There was no telling when Jack would randomly decide to go somewhere else, and teleporting too much would drain Loki's energy. If that happened it would be all the harder to get Jack back through the bifrost unnoticed.

Loki took off toward the palace on foot, muttering about all the things he was going to do to the annoying winter spirit once he caught up with him.


	7. Chapter 7

Jack laughed at the local wind's attempt to remove him from the air. This was fun! The winds back home hardly ever agreed to such rough horseplay.

This world was amazing! Nearly everything glittered, just as his own snow did in the sunlight. The buildings and pathways were expansive and open, making plenty of space for flying. He also saw lots of spaces that would make great battlefields in a snowball fight. Strange that he didn't see much plant life though; he must have been in the middle of a city.

Jack decided to head for the most impressive looking place first. He'd never believed in saving the best for last.

The winter spirit alighted onto a high balcony in the glimmering palace. Well, he tried to anyway. The wind finally managed to shake him just as he made to land, and he did a face plant onto the balcony's floor.

Undeterred by the painful landing, Jack sprang back up and waltzed through the doors in front of him.

The room was bigger than most houses back in his village. There were many racks and shelves along the wall, and they were stacked with various weapons and armor. The interior walls weren't as shiny as the outside walls, though the gray stone still had a bit of a shimmer to it. There was a large but empty hearth on his left, with a luxurious red and silver rug spread out in front of it. Just beyond the hearth was a set of double doors with smooth curving designs etched into them. Opposite the fireplace was probably the biggest bed he'd ever seen. The bed posts were tall and thick, and the carvings on them made him think of how the girls in his village liked to braid each others hair. The covers were in a twisted pile, and a bright red cloak had been thrown haphazardly over. There was also a silvery winged helmet resting a top one of the bed posts.

But what most drew his attention the most was the hammer resting on the ground next to the messy bed.

It wasn't just the size of the hammer that intrigued him. Nor was it the fine craftsmanship, though both were very impressive. Jack could detect a magical energy radiating from it. It wasn't like the wave of energy he felt when Loki cast a spell, but it was still familiar. Honestly, it made him think of the feeling he'd gotten when he picked up his staff for the first time. He still felt an echo of that each time he held is staff today.

Curious about the similarity, Jack moved closer and knelt beside the hammer. Resting his staff across his lap; Jack reached out and ran a hand across the intertwining symbols on the hammer's edges, then across its thick handle. The energy seemed to increase slightly with physical contact, though it didn't comfort him the way holding his staff did. Curiosity mounting, he grasped the handle of the hammer with both hands and pulled up.

The hammer didn't move.

Frowning, Jack adjusted his grip and threw all his strength into yanking the hammer up. His muscles strained, and his limbs began to shake. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and released his grip with a huff. The hammer hadn't budged at all.

"How is this thing so heavy?" Jack groaned out loud, still panting slightly. It was ridiculous, he was thin be he wasn't weak!

Footsteps sounded behind Jack. He spun around, crouching with his staff at the ready, only to be met with a haggard looking Loki.

The god of mischief had just burst in from the hallway door, and halted when he noticed what Jack was kneeling by. Recognizing his friend, Jack dropped the defensive stance and grinned.

"Hey Loki, I was wondering when you'd catch up."

"What are you doing in here? Get away from that!" Loki strode forward and pulled Jack up by his arm, away from the hammer. If Thor came in and saw Jack trying to lift his precious Mjolnir...

"Oh come on Loki! I thought you were supposed to be the god of _mischief_. Lighten up already! I didn't break anything."

"Yet." Loki muttered "Jack you don't understand what-" A booming laugh from the corridor cut Loki off. His eyes widened in recognition. His brother truly had the worst timing.

"We have to go." Loki grabbed a startled Jack by the shoulders. He quickly imagined a flame consuming his anxieties, and teleported.

Being teleported was not the same as traveling through the bifrost. Jack had felt kind of like he was flying when he had hitchhiked with Loki, but this was different. It was like stretching after having been still for a long time. Muscles trembling slightly, vision dimming, footing suddenly unsteady. It didn't take long, but the ice child was still very grateful when their new location solidified around them.

"Ugh...that was weird. How do you ever get used to that?" Jack asked, swaying slightly from disorientation. It was a strange experience for one who was normally so balanced.

"It's not that bad." Loki replied dismissively. His eyes swept across the slightly duller corridor they were now in, routes and plans running through his mind a mile a minute.

"Where are we anyway?" Jack asked, trailing after Loki when he started heading down a passage to their right. He didn't like this place much compared to all the rest he had seen. The walls were all closed in and the stone walls were darkly colored. It made him feel a bit claustrophobic.

"In the lower levels of the palace. Most of the rooms are used for storage, so it tends to be less crowded. We'll have a better chance of sneaking out of here if we use one of these exits."

"You still want me to leave? Why are you so against me being here?" Jack whined. Though his tone was still teasing the boy really was confused, and a little hurt. He shared nearly everything about his home world with his friend, introducing him to his favorite places and even a few spirits. Okay, so the 'introductions' had mostly been pranks, but that was beside the point. Couldn't he see even a little bit of Loki's home? Did Loki not want his friends or family to know about him? Was he ashamed of admitting he spent time with Jack?

"You don't understand how strict father can be Jack. If he finds out you're here and is upset about it he could ban me from visiting Midgard for years, or decades."

"Decades?" Jack repeated quietly. He didn't like the thought of that. Loki sighed.

"Maybe when things between Asgaurd and other worlds become less tense visitors will be allowed in, we just can't have you caught _in the palace_. Especially now, please Jack."

"Alright." Jack finally conceded.

Loki lead the way, glancing back every half a minute to make sure Jack was still following. Each time the Asgardian did this the boy would give him a look that was a little too innocent. Loki rolled his eyes.

_'And the boy wonders why I don't trust him in the palace.'_ Loki thought

Still, Jack stayed close by. So at least he was trying to stay serious now. They had to duck into store rooms to avoid guards several times, but they finally neared the exit.

This entry point saw very little use. Only those who lived and worked in the palace even knew of its existence. It only had one guard stationed at it. While relations with the other realms were not currently good it was not to the point that a full guard needed to be placed at an entrance so few knew of.

"Now Jack," Loki whispered as he watched the door and guard, "here's the plan." The god of mischief launched into an explanation for how he would distract the guard and what signal he would use to tell Jack to make a break for the door.

But Jack didn't hear any of it. He suddenly felt the presence of _something_, a something which he had only felt brushes of as they made their way here. It was deep, ancient, powerful, and cold. It pulled seductively at his own winter magic, and before he really knew what he was doing he was drifting off down the hallway toward its source. By the time Loki finished talking and turned to see what Jack thought of the plan, the boy was already gone.

* * *

Jack barely registered that he had slipped away from Loki. The temptation of this strange power, combined with his own natural curiosity, seemed to override his rational thought processes. After a few minutes he found the room that the ancient power was radiating from, and noticed the presence of a pair of guards. With a small burst of power Jack summoned enough air to quickly sweep him up to the ceiling, where he clung to the deep green rafters like they were monkey bars. Apparently it was only the major winds that had a problem with him.

He watched the guards, trying to think of some way to sneak into the room. He didn't think about the consequences of being caught; all he could think about was finding the source of the cold energy that was pulling on him. He had concocted a risky plan for getting in, which involved an ice slide, strobe lights, and plenty of screaming, but was presented with a better option before he had a chance to enact it.

Two new guards approached the current ones; their shift was done. As the new guards came over Jack moved along the rafters until he was right above the double door. The four men started to talk and joke, moving away from the door slightly to stand in the middle of the hallway. Jack saw his chance. With a grace and silence that only a century old elemental could posses, Jack dropped to the floor. The boy could have sworn one guard's eyes passed over his position, but nothing happened. Was it possible that some Asgardians couldn't see him either? Hurt and insecurity surged through him, but was quickly pushed aside by the ancient coldness tugging at his mind.

With slow measured movements, Jack turned and eased open the door. As he slipped in, he used the air to make the door drift silently shut. He heard one of the guards comment on feeling a draft before it closed all the way. The frost child turned around, and was immediately enthralled.

After a short flight of stairs the room was almost like a small hallway, with the same curving patterns he'd seen in other parts of the palace. There was fire blazing on either side of the steps, but this did not bother Jack. His focus was completely encompassed by what was sitting on the stone pedestal at the very end of the hall.

It was nearly a cube, but the top and bottom were a bit too long. Silvery gray metal covered the edges, curving inward on the sides and coming to points at the corners. The rest of the artifact looked like it was made of cracked ice, the fissures reaching for and circling around what lay inside. A brilliant white light pulsed from its very center. It made entrancing blue patterns dance inside the ice like box.

Jack couldn't help himself. Within a moment he was standing before the pedestal, eyes reflecting the artifact's light. He'd never felt anything like this before. It wasn't like the power of his staff, which was like an extension of himself. This was definitely an external source, yet it still called to something buried within his very being. Absentmindedly, he propped his staff against the wall. Then he reached out, grasped the artifact's sides, and lifted it up.

It wasn't light, nor was it very heavy. The weight felt just right in his hands. With the contact established, it was like a connection was made between him and the light inside. His own magic now called back to the tantalizing, powerful light. He felt energy building between them. His skin started to glow. The temperature in the room plummeted. Wind rushed through the room, pulling at his hair and clothes. His staff clattered over. He felt like he was about to burst from the increasing pressure.

Then suddenly it was gone.

A wave of winter magic blasted out from between them. The artifact fell to the floor, and Jack was thrown all the way down the hall and onto the steps.

It took a moment for him to get up from his sprawled position on the steps. He looked around in a daze, and his mouth fell open. Every single surface was covered in a thick layer of swirling blue ice. Even the fire seemed to be frozen, with the ice on the torch stands in the shape of flickering flames. It was amazing, beautiful and confusing all at once. What was that box thing? What just happened?

Before Jack could give it another thought, the alarm sounded.


End file.
